Marianne Vanderwilt Brings Her New Collection Back to Town

Marianne Vanderwilt is an established Dutch designer who

creates original garments in leather. In the last decade, she has acquired a loyal coterie of discerning devotees in fashion-savvy capitals from Paris to Stockholm, London to Copenhagen: from judges to journalists, pop stars, versatile moms, and hip women of every age who appreciate her timeless yet edgy perspective. Marianne Vanderwilt will be presenting her collection at Moda Manhattan February 21-23. Marianne Vanderwilt is one of the top ten Dutch designers in the joint Green Orange collective. Green Orange is an initiative of Wave-Up marketing & promotions.

Back in the USA
Vanderwilt is making a welcome reentry into the US market after taking a hiatus to restructure the company she operates with her brother Coen (following an ill-fated expansion effort with the wrong business partner), and says: “We have chosen to scale back to realistic proportions that reflect our family values and creative signature. Returning to New York City is like a homecoming which I await with pleasure. I get enormous energy from the city itself, as well as from the people. It is stimulating both personally and professionally. And the timing is right.” Vanderwilt was previously affiliated with Barbara Kramer (of D&A) and her garments were available in exclusive fashion emporiums from Henri Bendel to Fred Segal.

She’s Got the Blues
The ready-to-wear collections for Spring 2012 and Fall/Winter 2012-13 feature dresses, tops, and blouses, along with her signature coats and jackets. Each garment is designed to bring out the best of the female silhouette and features unusual twists and tweaks with fabric and sleight-of-hand seam work. The palette is an infinite spectrum of blue, with shades of peacock, indigo, and ‘’cosmic’’ violet, as well as azure and midnight. “Blue is always associated with jeans, and I wanted to rediscover its possibilities. It is a beautiful color to combine with other primary hues, and when worn with black, both colors are enhanced,” explains Vanderwilt.

Leather Without Limits
Her fascination with leather continues to evolve, especially with the unlimited possibilities of nappalon. “Leather is the clay I use to mold the collection, which I use like other materials, challenging its perceived limitations. I am constantly seeking new sources, experimenting with materials and exploring the diversity. In her recent collections for Europe, she has innovatively combined leather with antique kimonos from Japan, as well as with knit and high tech fabric. A new line of accessories includes the classic Hobo bag and variations embellished in ‘’pony fur’’, belts with unexpected closures, and perforated, ‘punk chic’ shawls.

Acknowledging the reality that womanly curves extend beyond sizes 0-6, Vanderwilt has added a new segment to her collection for sizes 16-20. “It’s not about making larger sizes, it’s about adjusting the seams to flow with the silhouette of the more voluptuous figure,” she notes. “Clothing should enhance women’s natural resources. To accentuate the positive. Style is not about size, but about self confidence.”

For further information, please contact:
Coen Looijen [cl@mariannevanderwilt.com]